The RAW Truth Review for 7/16/12

One day after Money in the Bank, one week before the 1000th episode of RAW. I would expect tonight to be a set up for next week's show. John Cena has teased a major announcement. I will assume it will be about his Money in the Bank cash in. Stay tuned.

WWE Champ to Start? Shocking
C.M. Punk was out to start the show. He brought up his pipe bomb promo from Las Vegas last year. Punk said he's beaten everybody in front of him since then. Punk said a guy like him would have never been on the first episode of RAW. Big Show came out and interrupted. Big Show mocked C.M. Punk's story. He said Cena was in the right place at the right time when the handle on the briefcase broke, and if he had one, he would have cashed in the contract right now. Punk said Big Show did what he always did last night, leave a path of destruction and lose. Punk said that is why he has the respect of everyone and Big Show has none. Show laughed and said if Punk left today, they would be over him in a week. Show said they both know the WWE revolves around one man. Punk said he is the WWE Champion, and Big Show is an over paid, shell of a former giant. Show said after he beats Punk tonight, he could very well lose the WWE Championship to John Cena.

The RAW Truth Review for 7/9/12

We are one week away from the Money in the Bank PPV, and another great Daniel Bryan/C.M. Punk encounter. Oh, and that damn crazy little vixen A.J. Lee is the special guest referee. And we don't know who the GM will be this week. Is there a possibility that it was kept "anonymous" for a reason? I wonder.

C.M. Punk And Marriage? Hell Has Frozen Over
After a recap of last week's A.J. stuff, the lovely little lady came out to the ring. She said as special referee this Sunday, she knows her actions can greatly effect the outcome of the match. She said that it is very emotional and over whelming. She asked the crowd to help her welcome C.M. Punk to the ring. A.J. told Punk she doesn't need professional help and is in full control. She paused and started to get emotional. She said no one has cared for her and showed passion for her like he did. And she knew it when he kissed her. A.J. said Punk turns her on, and she knows what she has to do. Suddenly, A.J. got on one knee and asked Punk to marry her.

Best In The World: Looking At The Year of C.M. Punk

Whenever you start a job, there's one constant everyone will tell you. Your boss, your wife, your parents. Anyone. "Hard work pays off." Most of the time, people just aren't handed things on a silver platter. You have to bust your butt to get somewhere in today's world. It may take a long time, but if you stick to it you will get the recognition you deserve. You can't let people get you down. You screw up once? So what. Build on that mistake and let it help you in the future. People don't like quitters. They like hard workers.

When it comes to hard workers in the wrestling business, I can't think of anyone else that works harder than C.M. Punk. C.M. Punk fits the mold of everything I described in the first paragraph. He's a hard worker, He's busted his butt for years to get to the top spot in the WWE. Punk has had numerous detractors and people who said he could never be a main event talent, and he's proven each one of them wrong. It may have taken a long time, but C.M. Punk is finally one of the top stars in the wrestling industry. He's the perfect combination of everything you want in a wrestler. He can work in the ring and he can talk on the mic. And he loves the wrestling business. What else can you ask for?

The RAW Truth Review for 7/2/12

Holla holla holla player. Teddy Long is the GM of this week's RAW, and wouldn't you know, he made a tag match for the main event tonight! At leasts it is a good one: Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan vs John Cena and C.M. Punk. Hopefully they at least get some time to actually wrestle. Oh, and Brock Lesnar responds to Triple H's SummerSlam challenge tonight. I expect a pre-recorded response from Lesnar.

A Book Of One Liners By Kane
After a recap of last week's events, John Cena came out. Cena thanked Big Show and Chris Jericho for the beatdown last week. He said anything can happen at Money in the Bank, and they showed him that last week. Cena said he stands by everything he said last week, that he will win the WWE Title Ladder Match and become WWE Champion. Suddenly, Daniel Bryan came out chanting YES. Bryan said Cena isn't relevant to him. Bryan said at MITB, he will become WWE Champion. Bryan said if Cena manages to win the WWE Title MITB contract, his relevance to him is that Cena will become the first person to win a MITB match and lose. Cena said he can think of at least one person who disagrees with him.

The RAW Truth Review for 6/25/12

We are one hour away from another episode of RAW. John Cena is promising a huge announcement, which means it will probably be nothing like it tends to be with Cena. My guess is that he announces he will be in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match. I like the fact that they made the MITB Ladder Matches Title specific. The brand split is basically dead anyways so why try to hide it? Again, all I'm hoping for is something new tonight.

After a WWE Title recap, A.J. appeared to be talking to Daniel Bryan, Kane and C.M. Punk off screen. She told Bryan they have to be apart to grow as people, she called Kane a monster, and told C.M. Punk she thought it best if they go their separate ways. It was then revealed that A.J. was talking to herself in a mirror? Crazy chicks, am I right?

Skipping Never Looked So Good
After the intro Vickie Guerrero came out. She said that she knew she would be named permanent GM after her performance this week. She announced a triple threat elimination match, but didn't give any reason for it or what the winner got. Daniel Bryan came out, followed by Kane and C.M. Punk. Kane fought off both men early on. But both Bryan and Punk took Kane down with some kicks. Kane rolled to the outside and Bryan and Punk were left to go at it. Punk caught Bryan and delivered an inverted atomic drop. Kane caught Punk with an upper cut and then caught Bryan diving off the apron and slammed him into the barricade going into commercial.

The 2011 Top Rope Awards

You voted! (ok not may of you, but to those who did vote you know who you are) And now the results are in. It is time to look at the winners, or in some cases losers, in the 2nd annual 2011 Top Rope Awards. In addition to the awards I made public, I've also added some secondary awards to hand out.

2011 was a very up and down year for the WWE. It was up at the start and heading into Wrestlemania. It went back down until C.M. Punk began his main event push in the summer. Ever since SummerSlam it has been a very hot and cold time for the WWE. Hopefully the WWE can put together one solid year of booking, but that is about as likely as The Rock, Steve Austin, and Brock Lesnar all deciding at the same time that they want to come back to the WWE full time. There are some things I would like to see happen in the WWE in 2012, and that is something that can be saved for a later blog.

For now though, onto the Awards!

Appreciating Smackdown: The Supposed "B Show"

I was struggling to come up with ideas for a column this week. I kept going over everything that happened on RAW and couldn't think of anything. I've touched on C.M. Punk numerous times. There's still not enough known about the Kevin Nash/Triple H storyline to predict where it is going. I just wrote about Alberto del Rio two weeks ago so there's nothing new there, although kudos to the WWE for pulling the trigger on him winning the WWE Title. The more I was thinking about ideas, the more I realized one constant thing. Why am I only thinking about RAW columns? There are probably only two things I really like on that show: The C.M. Punk/HHH/Nash/Stephanie McMahon storyline and Alberto del Rio as WWE Champion. Everything else, mid-card included, just isn't that interesting to me.

Then I started thinking about Smackdown. I was able to watch the last two shows and I must say: I really like what they are doing over there. There's a lot of things to like about Smackdown right now. Smackdown doesn't get the appreciation it rightly deserves, so I thought I would take the time to give the supposed "B Show" some recognition in my weekly column.

Might as well start at the top. The Randy Orton/Christian program this summer has been very entertaining. I didn't have faith that the WWE could make this entertaining all summer, but they did. Christian's first true main event run in the WWE has been a joy to watch. Sure he's only had title reigns of five days and one month, but he's been at the top now for 4 months now, and he's handled himself quite well. In my opinion, he's shed the whole "Only There Because of Edge" shadow he had on him. Lots of people thought had it not been for Edge, Christian would have never sniffed the main event scene. Well, its been 4 months now, and Christian is still at the top. Sure Edge appeared at SummerSlam, but it was a minor appearence. The WWE could have pulled the plug on Christian's push if they wanted to but they didn't. While this program may be over, Christian proved that he could be a go to guy when necessary in the main event scene.

I also have to give credit to Randy Orton. Orton was as boring as he could possibly be on RAW before moving over to Smackdown. His character has been given a bit of a kick, especially in the last month or so. I was always a fan of the crazed, psychotic Orton. I like him better when he is chasing the Title, like he did the last month, but he's still been better than he was on RAW. Orton and Christian have a good chemistry together and there five matches they've had together have been great. Maybe the best set of matches Orton has had in his career. Hopefully Orton can carry this over into his next program, even though all signs point to it being Mark Henry.

That was the main event. Lets move on to the mid-card. I personally find the Smackdown mid-card much more fascinating and intriguing than the RAW mid-card. In my opinion, there's more story and depth to a lot of Smackdown's mid-carders than RAWs. Lets start with the man who's push I'm thoroughly enjoying at the moment: Mark Henry. I don't know what's different about this push. Maybe the fact that the WWE and Henry seem to be serious about this push. All of Henry's matches have been short and to the point. Henry has been getting over as the dominant monster heel that has been missing in the WWE for some time. Now if he's going to get a main event push, he will need to be able to work a 15 minute match. Can Orton and Henry put on an entertaining match of that length? Only time will tell. But for now, I'm digging the push Henry is getting. He's looked like a monster taking out Kane and the Big Show, and him and Sheamus put on a decent big man match at SummerSlam.

And that leads us into a perfect transition to talk about Sheamus. He seemed to be going nowhere as a heel, so the WWE decided to take a chance with him and turn Sheamus face. I thought that the WWE was going to turn either Sheamus or Wade Barrett face. They are both basically the same character: European big men who are tough. I would have picked Barrett, but I think the WWE made the better choice in using Sheamus. Sheamus also seems to be enjoying his face turn. He looked to be having a good time on the Conan O'Brien Show this past week. Sheamus needed this face turn to give his character a kick. The WWE can't change his character too much though. He still needs to remain the tough, Irish bad ass he was as a heel, but just with the fans behind him. I think it seems like Sheamus is behind the turn, so now everyone involved needs to do their part to make everything turn out well.

I've gone through 4 guys on the Smackdown roster and not even talked about the guy with potentially the highest upside: Mr. Money in the Bank Daniel Bryan. Most everybody was surprised to see Bryan win the Smackdown MITB contract. Even more people were surprised to find out he will cash in his contract at Wrestlemania. It's a great way to do it. If it lasts that long. You can never put too much faith in the WWE's long term booking. Bryan is probably the second best in ring worker in the WWE after C.M. Punk. I always hate to bring up his name, but Bryan has a bit of Chris Benoit THE WRESTLER in him. Not the best in the mic. Not the most charasmatic guy. But he busts his ass in the ring night in and night out. I don't know why the fans in Los Angeles chanted boring during his match with Wade Barrett at SummerSlam. It was the best match on the undercard. The WWE still has a lot to do to build up Bryan as a believeable Wrestlemania main eventer. One theory that I read that I liked: Bryan loses the MITB contract, wins either the Royal Rumlbe or Elimination Chamber to earn his Wrestlemania spot back, and faces the man who he lost his MITB contract to at Wrestlemania since he would be the Champ at that point. I can't take credit for that theory, but I like it. I consider Daniel Bryan the biggest question mark on Smackdown. If handled properly he could be the next WWE main eventer. If handled poorly he could be stuck in mid-card purgatory forever.

I thought Cody Rhodes would be in the position Christian was in now. He seemed destined for the main event this fall. He was one of the most interesting characters in the WWE. Now he's kind of stuck with nothing. Its nice to finally see him with some gold, even if its the Intercontinental Title. Its a start. As long as he keeps the Title he will FINALLY have a singles match on PPV. There is still a lot of potential with Cody, its just that his character has cooled off a bit. Maybe Cody will get a main event push this fall.

I was extremely high on Wade Barrett at this point leader. He was on fire as the leader of Nexus. He was great on the mic and holding his own in the ring. But ever since moving to Smackdown, Barrett has had absolutely nothing going for him. No program, no long term feud. He had a very good match with Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam, but this week on Smackdown there was no follow-up. I really hope something comes up for Barrett in the near future. Barrett has too much potential to go to waste.

Justin Gabriel is also an interesting case. They've been hyping him with video promos for a few weeks. He's good in the ring and has that natural good guy pretty boy look. He also has a great finisher with the 450 splash. Maybe a feud with Cody Rhodes for the IC Title is in order.

The only really parts that I could complain about on Smackdown are Sin Cara and Ezekiel Jackson. Jackson is just a terrible worker. I don't think there is anything more to say. The whole Sin Cara debacle is just getting hilarious at this point. Maybe it will turn into a Doink the Clown gimmick and there will just be multiple Sin Cara's running around. I've seen some of Sin Cara's work and there is a lot of potential and good to it, but it just hasn't come full circle in the WWE yet.

I remember back when the WWE Draft happened. Everyone thought Smackdown got robbed in the Draft. While on paper it looks like they did, I don't see that as the case. While RAW may have the top two stories going, Smackdown by far has more depth on its talent roster. RAW's mid-card characters just lack any depth. On Smackdown, they are making more guys seem important. On RAW all I'm suppose to care about is C.M. Punk, HHH, John Cena, and Alberto del Rio. All the guys I listed in this article are people I have interest in and want to see do well. Smackdown is considred the "B Show", but its talent roster is far more appealing and interesting than the entire RAW roster combined.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow me on Twitter @JCWonka

The Puzzling Case of Alberto del Rio

Something funny happened while I was watching RAW this past Monday. I was watching it while writing my review for The Oratory (a fun message board by the way) when something weird occurred. Back from a commercial, Justin Roberts was introducing Alberto del Rio's "Personal Ring Announcer" Ricardo Rodriguez. When this happened a funny thing popped into my head: I completely forgot that Alberto del Rio wasn't on the show yet. I almost completely forgot he was even on RAW.

Now there could be a variety of reasons for that. I was watching RAW on DVR in the morning so I may not have been fully functional like I would have on a Monday night. You could also add the fact that since July, C.M. Punk has been the best thing the WWE has had going for them in years. His ceiling is so high right now, and he's injecting a breath of fresh air into a boring stagnant product. While these may be small pieces of the puzzle, one large piece is the main reason for my forgetting of ADR not being on RAW yet: Alberto del Rio has been severely mis-handled and booked for the last handful of months.

Del Rio debuted with a bang in the summer of 2010 on Smackdown. He was instantly put into a feud with Rey Mysterio, he took out Christian and put him out of action for months, and didn't even get pinned for the first few months of his run on Smackdown. The WWE seemed to be very high on him. There were multiple times where he was considered to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The first time it was reported was at either the TLC PPV or the Royal Rumble. This would have been too early. Edge needed the Title more than Del Rio at that point because he was chasing it for so long. Plus, the story of Del Rio chasing his destiny against the Champ Edge would have been a better story than the heel Champ Del Rio being chased by Edge. They already had face John Cena chasing heel Miz on RAW. Don't need the repeat of the same story on Smackdown. So they held off, and gave Del Rio the biggest rub possible.

Del Rio won the BIGGEST ROYAL RUMBLE IN HISTORY!!! It was the first ever 40 man Royal Rumble. Del Rio's Destiny seemed to be coming to fruition. He was going to be in one of the main event matches at Wrestlemania. Now sure, the last 3 Royal Rumble winners hadn't won their Title matches at Wrestlemania, but Del Rio seemed like a different story. The last 3 Rumble winners were previous Champions, Del Rio had never won a World Title and was on the rise in the WWE. He was the best act going on Smackdown, and it seemed like a long title reign was in store for him. Wrestlemania came, and things didn't go as planned. Del Rio was in the opening match at Wrestlemania for the World Title. Winning the Royal Rumble and fighting for the World Title on the opening match at Wrestlemania? I'm sure that wasn't in ADR's destiny. And to top that, he lost to Edge. Out of everything that happened at Wrestlemania, this was the biggest shock to me, even more so than Miz beating John Cena. I thought for sure Del Rio was winning and in store for a long reign on Smackdown. It was weird to see Edge get a win that he didn't need. Once again, Del Rio's destiny was put on hold.

Then Edge was forced to retire due to a bad neck injury. The World Title was made vacant. Del Rio was automatically put into the Ladder Match to crown the new World Champ, and he ended up facing Christian at Extreme Rules. Christian won the match. Now this is kind of a double-edged sword for me. I was so happy to see Christian win the World Title. The man deserved it after all his work in the business. Sure it only lasted two days, but Christian is finally getting an extended main event program. But on the other hand, Del Rio could have also won the World Title and had a long program with Christian over the World Title. But once again, Destiny got caught in traffic.

Now while all of these things hurt Del Rio's momentum, there's one momentum in the last few months that I think hurt ADR's stock more than anything:

I was really curious about the move. It seemed like Del Rio was destined to be the top heel on Smackdown. There were already a boat load of other heels on RAW. Of course, at the time, I'm sure the WWE didn't anticipate C.M. Punk becoming the star he is now. There was literally no other top heels on Smackdown at the time. But the main reason for the move, however, was to build towards the eventual John Cena/Alberto del Rio match which was rumored to take place at SummerSlam. Then the C.M. Punk angle happened. But even before the Punk angle happened, the WWE almost killed all of Alberto del Rio's momentum. He came over to RAW and had nothing going for him at all the first two months. He wrestled Rey Mysterio a few times, which he did on Smackdown. He didn't have a match at Over the Limit. He was put in a quick program with Big Show. But it was a buzz kill of a feud, and there was more focus on Mark Henry/Big Show than there was on ADR/Big Show. But then it appeared that maybe ADR's Destiny was going to be fulfilled at Money in the Bank.

Not knowing where the C.M. Punk angle was going, I thought for sure ADR was cashing in and winning at MITB. Well that didn't happen. Punk kicked him in the head and that was it. Then two weeks later on RAW it appeared ADR was cashing in on Rey Mysterio, but Rey got the better of him again. Now what is Del Rio doing? Basically walking around with a briefcase, still without any direction. It looks like he is getting into another short feud with Kofi Kingston. But it just seems like all of Del Rio's heat has been shot down. He was at the top in March and April and now seems to be stuck in the middle of the pack. The briefcase may help a little, but it can only do so much until he cashes it in.

Alberto del Rio shouldn't have been at this point this summer. He shouldn't have had to win the RAW MITB Briefcase. In my opinion, he should have already been the World Heavyweight Champion. I would have never moved Del Rio to RAW in the first place. Or if I would have, I would've at least had a set plan in place for Del Rio, and a program or two to build up to his eventual title win, which is something the WWE failed to do. You can't just let a guy flounder around for a few months and then expect him to get all of his heat back when he steals the WWE Title with the MITB contract, whenever that happens. At this point, I think the initial reaction would be underwhelming to an ADR Title win. People would rather see C.M. Punk on top long term. The only thing that would be acceptable, in my opinion, would be ADR winning and then a program with Punk. But that's not happening with John Cena in the picture. I could also live with ADR being the lead of a new HHH Corporation type stable.

So what is the point I'm trying to make here? ADR should already be in a top position in the WWE. He should be the top guy on Smackdown. I know I love the Christian push, but ADR might have been better in that position. A program of Randy Orton chasing Del Rio for the World Title would have been good. The matches might not have been as good, but they may have been able to get a longer program out of it. Let ADR and Christian go at it until the start of the summer, then put Orton in the Title picture.

The WWE is doing their first set of television tapings in Mexico in mid-October. They want Del Rio to either be WWE Champ, or win the WWE Championship at the tour. Sure, that would be good for business in Mexico. But what happens when Del Rio returns to the States? ADR's heat isn't as strong as it once was, and the WWE is to blame for that. The WWE Universe wants more C.M. Punk now, not more Alberto del Rio. Can Del Rio be resurrected? Sure. But now he has to overcome the stigma that is C.M. Punk in order to get to the top, and unfortunately for him, the WWE Universe may not want that.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow me on Twitter @JCWonka

WWE Money in the Bank Review

WOW. What an electric night. That was the best PPV the WWE has done in years. Everything about Money in the Bank was great. Top to bottom, this show was great. Even the stuff that you would normally consider bad was ok. Just an all around great show that words cannot do justice for. I recommend people go out of the way to watch this show. This will probably be the first PPV I buy on DVD that isn't Wrestlemania since One Night Stand 2006. I might as well get right into my review of the show. Top to bottom, solid all around.

Daniel Bryan Wins the Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match: ****
A big surprise right off the bat. Bryan had an argument to be called the #2 face on Smackdown, and winning here catapulted him into that position. The WWE needed to elevate someone into that position and they did that with Bryan winning here. It could have been Sin Cara, but they chose to go with Bryan instead. Obviously now, it is because Cara has been suspended for violating the WWE Wellness Policy. What a disappointing start for Sin Cara's career. Rey Mysterio rebounded from being suspended, hopefully Sin Cara can as well. He's just too talented to fail in my opinion.

Back to the actual match, this was the better of the two ladder matches. Not a lot of sloppy spots, but also a good amount of creative ones. Sheamus powerbomb of Sin Cara onto the ladder was a good spot. Justin Gabriel also stood out in the match. That 450 splash he did off of the ladder was much harder than it looked. The ladder was moving and as you could tell, Gabriel had to balance himself before doing the spin. Near the end I thought Barrett had the briefcase. Sheamus, even in losing, might have looked the best in the match. He cleaned house at one point. I still think there is potential in Sheamus as a main event draw. They are doing a good job on Smackdown building him back up as a huge force. They planted the seeds for a Barrett/Sheamus feud on Smackdown this past Friday. They could turn one of them face and make a program out of it. They would probably turn Sheamus, but I would rather turn Barrett. But this was just a fun match that got the crowd into it right off the bat. Great performances by all involved.

So where do they go from here with Daniel Bryan? Bryan is the Internet fans' darling. He's a great in ring worker. He busts his ass every week. I always hate bringing his name up, but he reminds me a lot of Chris Benoit the wrestler. Not the best on the mic, but a great in ring worker. As I said in my preview piece, Survivor Series is in NYC this year. Benoit won his first World Title there and the crowd popped huge, why not do it with Bryan too. I also think that Bryan may build towards a traditional program a la RVD than a normal MITB cash in. There's also the risk Bryan is the first to cash in and lose, I say there is a 30% chance of that happening.

They showed a clip earlier of Vince McMahon, Director of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, and an "attorney" arriving backstage.

Kelly Kelly defeated Brie Bella to retain the Divas Championship: *
Basic Divas match. Nothing terrible, nothing outstanding. The best thing of everything was Nikki saying, "Look at her, she doesn't even eat. You can't beat that?" Kelly wins, probably moves on to someone else now with the Bellas out of sight.

Mark Henry defeated Big Show: **
The match was short. It wasn't a two star level match, but I bumped it up a 1/2 star for the whole post match beatdown and angle. Henry and Show did do a good job in the ring. They did their best. Henry worked over Show's still hurt knee during the match. He hit the World's Strongest Slam but Show kicked out. Henry hit a second one then two splashes for the win. Afterward, Henry put a chair on Show's ankle and jumped on it from the second rope. Show sold a broken ankle as Henry walked to the back.

Mark Henry's mega push continues. I think it says something that they gave Mark Henry a clean win over the Big Show when they didn't even do it for Alberto del Rio. Henry's monster push continues. Orton/Christian isn't done yet, so I'm not quite sure what happens with Henry. Maybe he goes back to Kane for a bit. Maybe a brief program with Ezekiel Jackson. I think Henry is next in line for Orton after the program with Christian. Fine for what it was, but made better by the entire build and post match angle.

Josh Matthews interviewed Vince McMahon backstage. He said he hasn't re-signed Punk. He told C.M. Punk fans that he did everything he could, but Punk refused to sign. Vince blamed John Cena for everything that happened, and said "May god have mercy on John Cena's soul," if Punk won the WWE title tonight.

Alberto del Rio won the RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match: ***1/2
I don't have a problem with Del Rio winning. I just thought it was too obvious to happen. I didn't think Del Rio needed this to be elevated to the main event. But that is partially because I didn't have everything from tonight playing out as it did.

I thought this match was a bit underwhelming. The beginning with everyone bringing a ladder into the ring was a nice touch. There were a few more sloppy moments and dangerous spots in this one. Everyone attacked Del Rio with the ladder and threw them on him on the outside. Everyone then hit a bunch of flying spots onto the outside. R-Truth, then Kofi and Rey, then Bourne hit an amazing Shooting Star Press off the top of the ladder on the outside. Highlight spot of both ladder matches. I still would have rather had Ziggler in the match, but that was a cool spot.

In ring, Miz and Bourne battled on the ladder before Del Rio knocked both of them off. Miz fell from the ladder and sold a serious knee injury as he was helped to the back. Another decent spot where Rey Mysterio and Bourne hit double hurricaranas. All seven men remaining ended up on ladders in the ring before they all started falling one by one. Kofi Kingston was the last one left and tried to grab the briefcase, but Swagger pulled him off. Suddenly, Miz came limping back to the ring and appeared to be in line for getting the case again. Rey Mysterio stopped him and knocked him off. Rey was booed pretty heavily. Del Rio then got to the top of the ladder. Both men battled on the top of the ladder before Del Rio yanked Rey's mask off and shoved him to another ladder. Both men's ladders fell in a spot that didn't look planned. Del Rio grabbed the briefcase for the win.

As I said, still entertaining but a bit sloppy. The end was off, Truth missed a spot earlier with Swagger that had to be redone. It was curious to see what they did with Miz. He got a huge pop from the live crowd. Are they going to turn Miz face? It's been talked about for a while now. I was disappointed Alex Riley didn't standout more than he did. Unlike Smackdown where everyone had at least one standout moment, there were a few guys that didn't stand out here, notably Riley, Jack Swagger, and R-Truth. It will be interesting to see where they go with Del Rio here. I won't say anything more until I get to the end of the review.

Backstage, Del Rio told Josh Matthews he should have been in the WWE Championship match tonight, and he was going to prove to everyone how great he really is and fulfill his destiny of becoming WWE Champion.

Christian defeated Randy Orton via Disqualification to win the World Heavyweight Title: ***3/4
Another solid match between the two. This was a match again bumped up because of the whole angle and the post match as well. Christian threw a chair into the ring early to tease Orton with a DQ. Back and forth action throughout the entire match before Christian countered an RKO into an Unprettier. Orton kicked out at two and sold frustration. Orton recovered and hit a shoulder neckbreaker on Christian for only a two count. Orton thought about the punt but Christian moved. Orton hit a powerslam and elevated rope DDT. He went for an RKO but Christian bailed to the corner. Christian then spit in Orton's face with caused him to snap. Orton went nuts and eventually low blow kicked Christian causing a DQ, which meant Christian won the World Heavyweight Title. After the match, Orton snapped and threw Christian to the outside. He RKO'd Christian on the Spanish announce table, but it didn't break. He left but came back and did it again. Orton was really good here. His facial expressions were top notch. He really sold that he snapped and completely lost it. Orton can be good under the right circumstance and he was here.

I was surprised Daniel Bryan didn't come out and cash in. But they still need to build up Bryan a bit more in my opinion. Christian was carried to the back afterward. Like I said, another good match between these two and continues their program heading into SummerSlam. I'm assuming some type of gimmick is added to the match this time. Maybe, as some people have already suggested, Edge returns as special guest referee. He will already be in Los Angeles for SummerSlam. I was surprised as well to see how much the crowd was into Randy Orton. I thought for sure Chicago would be more into Christian than Orton. Hopefully Christian gets a proper one month reign with the Title, and not lose it again on Smackdown right away. Even though this program has been going now for 3 months, there is now a new wrinkle thrown into it with Christian now Champ, and Orton now in full blown psychotic snap mode. Solid "2nd main event" before the match everyone was waiting for.

C.M. Punk defeated John Cena to win the WWE Championship: *****
I'll try, but words cannot do this one justice. This match was just on another level. Punk came out to a huge reaction from his hometown Chicago. Cena came out and just walked to the ring, now salute or run to the ring.

Basic wrestling work in the first half of the match. Slow rest holds, but they all played into the build of the match later. Cena hit his traditional offense. About 12 minutes into the match Cena sold a knee injury and backed away into the corner. Punk went to suplex Cena back into the ring, but Cena suplexed him to the outside onto the mat in a rough looking spot. Back in the ring, Cena and Punk went at each other with a back and forth that got "BOOS" for Cena and "YAHS" for Punk. Cena eventually gained control and went for the five knuckle shuffle, but Punk kneed Cena in the head when he went for the "You Can't See Me." Punk kneed Cena to the floor and then hit a dive to the outside. Back in the ring, Punk went for a dive and missed. Cena connected on the Five Knuckle Shuffle this time. Cena then went for the Attitude Adjustment, but Punk countered. Punk went for the GTS, but Cena countered. Cena took a pretty stiff knee to the jaw.

After some Punk kicks, Cena countered and locked in the STF. Punk was able to crawl towards the ropes and grab it before tapping out. Punk went to the top and went for a splash, but Cena countered into an AA attempt. Punk countered into a GTS attempt. Cena countered that into another STF. Punk crawled towards the rope again but Cena dragged him back mid-ring. Out of nowhere, Punk was able to escape and lock in his signature submission, the Anaconda Vice. Cena countered out of that into an AA, but only got a two count out of it. Punk countered Cena's top rope leg drop into a sitdown powerbomb. Punk went for the GTS but Cena got out of it. This time he hit the leg drop. Cena hit another AA but Punk kicked out again. Cena sold disbelief to the ref.

Cena went for a top rope AA, but Punk elbowed out of it. He hit a top rope huracanrana. Punk then hit the GTS on Cena, but Cena fell to the outside. Punk rolled Cena back into the ring. Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis walked down the entrance. Punk caught them out of the corner of his eye. Punk entered the ring, but the distraction allowed Cena to lock in the STF. Vince told Laurinaitis to go ring the bell, but Cena unlocked the hold and decked him. Cena then went to Vince and told him "Not like this," implying he didn't want the match to end in the screwjob format. Cena went back into the ring, but Punk hit the GTS and scored the three count for the win.

Vince sold disbelief and shock. As Punk celebrated in the ring, Vince walked to the announce table and told them to cut Punk's music. He asked for Del Rio to come out and cash in his contract. Del Rio ran out but Punk kneed him in the head. Punk then left the ring, blew a kiss to McMahon, and escaped through the crowd. The show ended with Punk walking in the arena concourse and McMahon fuming on the ring apron.

As I said in the beginning, just WOW. That match was on a whole nother level. Punk was excellent there playing to the crowd and of course proving once again that he is the best wrestler in the WWE today. As much as I don't like the guy as a character, Cena brought his A game tonight as well. He showed that he is more than capable of carrying his end of a big time match. The crowd was great as well. Everything put together just gave this match a big time feel that might not be topped for years to come. Everybody played their parts perfectly. Punk and Cena were great in the ring, Vince was great as the owner who didn't want to see his prized possession leave, and even John Laurinaitis was good as the company stooge. It is what you ask for in a wrestling match. Good action in the ring, compelling drama, and an excellent story told from start to finish. You can't ask for anything else.

Just like before the PPV, I have no idea where this story is going. This is the one finish I didn't see happening. Does Punk really leave with the WWE Title? If so, do we go that long without the WWE Title? Does Vince introduce a new Title belt? Is Dolph Ziggler the new top dog on the show with the United States Championship? Does Punk actually stick around for a bit? Does he show up in the crowd with the title? Or go to Ring Of Honor? Is Cena actually fired? That's a lot of questions there. This ending was the best possible hook to gain viewers for RAW tonight. The one thing the WWE can't do is have Punk show up tonight, then just lose the title back to Cena. It kills any momentum from the PPV and will lose more people in the long haul rather than gain more. But from start to finish in this whole program, for now, the WWE has done everything right and not screwed anything up. Kudos to them so far.

OVERALL
Easily the best PPV of the year so far. Everything was good to great, not counting the Divas match. I just can't describe enough how much I enjoyed this show. I'm giving it a solid 9. I'm taking off one point for an underwhelming RAW MITB match. Had that match been slightly better, this show would have been a ten But there was enough mis-cues in that match to drop the show a point. It doesn't take away from anything on the show overall, but I felt it affected the match quality just a bit. So obviously, this show is now #1 on the WWE PPV list for 2011.

1. Money in the Bank
2. Elimination Chamber

3. Extreme Rules
4. Wrestlemania 27
5. Royal Rumble
6. Capitol Punishment
7. Over the Limit

3 Stars of the Night
1. C.M. Punk: No doubt in my mind.
2. John Cena: He brought his A game tonight and showed he can work a big time match
3. Randy Orton: He brought his A game as well and sold some great expressions post match

Where Do We Go From Here?
I honestly have no idea, at least on the RAW side. There are just so many answers left unquestioned. My guess is that Punk stays gone for at least a few months, leading to a tournament to declare a new WWE Champion. They hold a 16 man tournament headed into SummerSlam. On Smackdown, Orton and Christian will continue their program with either Edge as Special Referee, or some type of gimmick or both. So for now, lets say SummerSlam looks like this:

Tournament Final for the WWE Championship: John Cena vs Alberto del Rio
World Heavyweight Championship; Tables, Ladders, & Chairs: Christian vs Randy Orton
United States Championship: Dolph Ziggler vs Alex Riley
Intercontinental Championship: Ezekiel Jackson vs Cody Rhodes
Sheamus vs Wade Barrett
Rey Mysterio vs Miz
Daniel Bryan vs Mark Henry
John Morrison vs R-Truth

I will close this review by saying if you were on the edge of watching this and didn't, go out of your way to order the replay. It was just a great display of wrestling ability from everyone involved on the show. It can hook you back in as a wrestling fan. It was just a great atmosphere. It's shows like these why we stay wrestling fans. Here's a goodbye kiss from C.M. Punk.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow me on Twitter: @JCWonka

WWE Money in the Bank Preview

Hello everyone and welcome back. Wherever you are reading this, I hope you enjoyed my "Summer of Punk" piece I wrote a few weeks ago.

One of the most anticipated non-big 4 PPVs in recent memory, Money in the Bank, takes place this Sunday. I honestly cannot think of a time where there was so much hype surrounding a PPV that wasn't Wrestlemania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, or the Royal Rumble. The WWE has really stepped up their game in these last few weeks building up anticipation for this PPV. They've drawn people's interest back who have been slowly fading away from their stale, stagnant product. They've utilized all the pieces of the puzzle correctly. The selling point of Money in the Bank is the two ladder matches. The WWE, however, has made those matches seem almost secondary compared to the hype surrounding the WWE Championship Match. With two ladder matches that always deliver, the most hyped WWE Championship match in recent memory, and another Orton/Christian match, this might be one of the better wrestling PPVs, and overall PPVs, in recent memory. Hell, there's even decent back story to the Big Show/Mark Henry match.

So lets move on to the review. I'm expanding this review a bit. While I will still give you my picks on who will win, I'm also going to go in to what I would do if each individual won the Money in the Bank contract.

Divas Championship: Kelly Kelly (c) vs Brie Bella

And you guys thought I forgot about what might be the best match on the card? I hope this match gets 20+ minutes. This could be an instant classic, one we will be talking about for years to come. It will make you forget the classic Melina vs Alicia Fox match. If that Submission match was a preview for anything, who knows what these two will pull out on PPV.

What was that? Is that sarcasm you sense? Maybe just a little. In all honesty, they better only give this match 5 minutes tops, otherwise the Chicago crowd will shit all over it. Is there even a storyline here? Kelly does some screaming to try and get the crowd into it. The Bellas try to pull some twin magic but Eve stops them. Kelly hits that leg drop for the win.

WINNER: Kelly Kelly

Big Show vs Mark Henry

As I said in the beginning, there's actually a decent back story to this match. Mark Henry has been on an absolute tear over the last month, taking out everything in his path. Sure, it may be push #54560143 for him, but for some reason I personally am really digging this push so far. Maybe it's because I've yet to see him wrestle an actual match since his push began, but I really like it. It has been a long time since we've had an unstoppable, monster heel on our hands. No heel has looked as dominant in recent memory as Henry has. While he is not the best wrestler out there, if this keeps going he will be in line for a World Title shot sometime, maybe as early as SummerSlam.

I know the WWE has this idea about Big Show being some untouchable monster, but the time for that has to stop. If Henry got a clean win over Show, it would make him look like that much more of a monster. I kind of wish the WWE would make this some sort of gimmick match. Maybe a Tables Match or something. I basic wrestling match won't be pretty between these two. Henry needs to get the win here. Not by Disqualification or a Referee Stoppage, but by pinfall. With the way Christian/Orton is going, I could see that ending at Money in the Bank and Henry stepping up as the challenger to Orton at SummerSlam.

WINNER: Mark Henry

Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Justin Gabriel vs Sheamus vs Heath Slater vs Cody Rhodes vs Kane vs Sin Cara vs Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett

Quite an interesting mix-match of people here. Out of all 8 participants, only 2 have participated in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match before: Kane and Cody Rhodes. Sin Cara and Daniel Bryan weren't even in the WWE last year at this time. (technically Bryan was already there, but he got fired) Barrett, Slater, and Gabriel were just debuting on the main roster off of NXT Season 1 as members of the Nexus. Sheamus was in the WWE Championship match.

Looking at the list of participants, I would say there are only 3 viable candidates to win this match. But as I said, I'll go through each participant, list there chances of winning, and then describe how I would go about them cashing in the briefcase. Lets go from least likely to most likely. It's really tough to look at the Smackdown side down the line because there is a big lack of main event talent here. Trying to predict who will be World Champion and when down the line is tough. I'm probably going to throw out a bunch of different scenarios with a bunch of different Champions.

Heath Slater: If Heath Slater wins this match, I'll do naked cartwheels up and down the streets of Buffalo while shouting "BRETT HULL'S GOAL WAS LEGAL" and "MUSIC CITY MIRACLE WASN'T A FORWARD LATERAL." Nothing against Slater. He's an ok wrestler, but he's never getting past the mid-card in the WWE. I think out of all the Money in the Bank participants in every MITB in history, he is probably the least viable person to think could win ever. Sorry Heath. Percentage Chance of Winning: 1%

If Heath Slater did win, how would I book his cash in?

-This takes a lot of thinking. Heath Slater would need to be built up as a threat first. That means he'd have to hold onto that briefcase for a VERY long time. Heath carries the briefcase for as long as possible. How about the June PPV next year, before beating the World Champ after his match.

Kane: Kane was the surprise winner of last year's Smackdown Money in the Bank match. I never thought he would have had any chance to win. This year, however, is a different story. Last year Kane had a ready made program with the Undertaker waiting for him. It was the best thing they could do on Smackdown. It was their main event program in the fall. But now, Kane is back in the mid-card. He's also getting up there in age and has injuries that are bothering him recently. You got to wonder how much time Kane has left in the business. I think last year's title run was a "thank you" run for all of the work he put into the company. I don't like Kane's chances this year. Percentage Chance of Winning: 4%

If Kane did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Kane would probably do just what he did last year: cash in the contract quickly. Kane just looks weird carrying around a briefcase. But he doesn't cash it in right away this year. Kane waits til SummerSlam and cashes it in after Randy Orton successfully retains his World Championship.

Justin Gabriel: If this was the 2012 Money in the Bank Match, then we may be talking about Gabriel as a pick to win it. There's a lot of potential in Gabriel. He should be a solid mid-carder in the coming year if the WWE decides to book him right. He's a good in ring worker, and his 450 Splash is one of the best finishers in the WWE. I just think he needs more time to develop his overall game. He needs to get over on the mic, maybe with the help of a manager. And of course, he needs to break way from Heath Slater. No offense to them, but the WWE's Tag Team Division is almost non-existent. They're going nowhere. Percentage Chance of Winning: 5%

If Justin Gabriel did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Like I said, Gabriel still needs time to develop. He needs a year in the mid-card, and probably a run with the Intercontinental Title. Let him show off his move set to the WWE Universe. From everything I've seen of him in FCW, he has a good one. Lets say at Extreme Rules, Wade Barrett is the World Heavyweight Champion. After retaining the Title, Gabriel comes out and cashes in the contract against his former friend and becomes Champion.

Daniel Bryan: Bryan is arguably the best wrestler on Smackdown. Maybe #2 in the WWE behind C.M. Punk. He knows his way around the squared circle. The crowd loves him for his in ring work. Problem is, he's not over in any other way. He doesn't really have any personality. His gimmick is just the straight up hard worker who busts his ass in the ring. I've compared Bryan to this man before, and although I hate bringing up his name, he reminds me a lot of Chris Benoit the wrestler. He works his ass off in the ring. The smarks love him. He's someone who I can see getting over with the crowd a whole lot down the line, but right now, he's still stuck in the mid-card on Smackdown even though he may be the #2 face on the show. I think somewhere down the line he may have a reign as WWE or World Champion, but not right now. Percentage Chance of Winning: 8%

If Daniel Bryan did win, how would I book his cash in?

-I hate using the term "smark", but if Bryan were to win the World Title some time this year, it would have to be in front of a "smark" crowd like Chicago or New York City. Luckily for Bryan, Survivor Series just happens to be in NYC this year. Mark Henry has just successfully retained the World Heavyweight Title. People cannot believe he has held the Title for 3 months. Well, Daniel Bryan thinks that has been long enough. He comes out after Henry's match and cashes in his contract.

Sin Cara: It's been said a thousand times. Sin Cara is off to a rough start in the WWE. No matter who his opponent is, Cara always seems to screw something up in his match. Whether it's his fault, or his opponent's for not knowing his style is debatable. But Sin Cara is Triple H's first project, and he'll be damned if he is going to let Cara fail so quickly. Cara is still a good worker. He has an amazing move set. He just needs to know what to use and when in the WWE. He also has problems getting over some emotion because his mask covers his entire face. While a nice move set is great, it can only take you so far in the wrestling business. You need to have some personality. His move set got him over in Mexico, but Mexico and the WWE are two different places. But Cara was brought in to branch out to the Mexico crowd, so there's still a chance for him to main event somewhere down the line. Percentage Chance of Winning: 12%

If Sin Cara did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Sin Cara still needs a lot of time to polish up his game. There's plenty of time for that. Wrestlemania is in Miami next year. Sheamus just successfully retained the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania, but out comes Sin Cara with the briefcase. Sheamus gives his all but is exhausted. He's unable to keep up with Cara's fast-paced offense. Cara wins and walks out of Wrestlemania with the World Title.

Wade Barrett: One year ago, Wade Barrett was the leader of Nexus, which at the time looked like the most dominant group the WWE had seen in a very long time. He appeared destined for a main event run, and maybe even a run with the WWE Championship. But I don't know if anybody else's stock has plummeted as much in a year as Barrett's has. He went to Smackdown where he became the leader of Corre. The Corre broke up, and now Barrett is stuck with absolutely nothing. He lost the Intercontinental Championship at Capitol Punishment to Ezekiel Jackson, and now really has nothing going. Winning this match would give Barrett something to do until he cashed in the briefcase. It would give him time to be built back up as a threat for the World Title. He needs a lot of rebuilding in order for this to happen. But having the Smackdown briefcase would be a start. It'd be similar to Jack Swagger winning at Wrestlemania 26. Percentage Chance of Winning: 22%

If Wade Barrett did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Barrett is solid enough in the ring and good enough on the mic to win this match, and handle himself at the top of Smackdown. The problem is Smackdown is full of top heels and Barrett is lost in the shuffle. Could Barrett work as a face on the Blue Show? I think it is worth a shot. At Hell in a Cell, Barrett cashes in the briefcase after Sheamus retains the World Title, leading to a Battle of England vs Ireland on Smackdown in the Fall of 2011.

Sheamus: Sheamus is an interesting case. He's been sticking his head in the World Title picture recently with Randy Orton and Christian. He was punted in the head by Orton a few weeks ago, and interrupted the contract signing on Smackdown as well. The thing is, Sheamus really doesn't need the briefcase. Sure he had a rough stretch on RAW, but I think he has done a decent job for himself so far on Smackdown. I'd probably say he is the #2 heel on the show behind Christian, and possibly next in line to face Randy Orton for the World Title. Its either him or Mark Henry. While he doesn't need the briefcase, I could see Vince giving it to him just because. Percentage Chance of Winning: 28%

If Sheamus did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Nice and quick for Sheamus. Doesn't need to hold onto it long. If this is the end of the Orton/Christian program at MITB, then why not have Sheamus cash in after their match this Sunday. Orton finally gets rid of Christian and transitions right into the next program.

Cody Rhodes: I really think Cody is the favorite. He's done so well in 2011. He was great in his program with Rey Mysterio. I wish he would have won at Extreme Rules, but that's in the past. He's kind of been stuck with nothing in the last few months. He's started working a bit with Daniel Bryan and Sin Cara, which have been good matches. He's done so well with a gimmick that I thought for sure would not work. The paper bag thing may be a bit of a stretch now, but it is still ok. Cody's work has been great in the ring and out, and has future World Champion written all over him. Yeah he's small and not the big guy that Vince likes, but he would make it worth. I'm sure he will have a run with the Intercontinental Title and program with his new apprentice Ted DiBiase Jr. before he gets to the World Title picture, however. Percentage Chance of Winning: 30%.

If Cody Rhodes did win, how would I book his cash in?

-I really think Cody could be a viable threat as the World Champion headed into Wrestlemania. Call me crazy, but I think he could make it worth. Who else could work a good match on Smackdown as a top heel? Sheamus or Barrett maybe, but Cody might be able to have the best match of the three. Cody cashes in his briefcase after the Elimination Chamber match. Who's the World Champ then? Will say Orton.

So Who's Winning This Thing?

Like I said, I think there are only 3 options for this one: Wade Barrett, Sheamus, and Cody Rhodes. Any of the other 5 would be a real surprise. I'm still of the mind set that Sheamus does not need the briefcase, so I'm throwing him out. Cody Rhodes, while arguably the best rising star on Smackdown, also really doesn't need it. Sure it could be the last thing to push him up to the top, but I think he gets there sooner rather than later. That leaves us with Wade Barrett. Barrett gas absolutely nothing going for him now. The briefcase automatically makes him a threat to the main event level, and as I said, I think it could help transition him into a face turn down the road.

WINNER: Wade Barrett

World Heavyweight Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs Christian

The fourth match between these two. All of them have been good. Their match at Capitol Punishment was a bit of a let down. It was still good, but not on par with their first two. As I've stated numerous times, I think they have gone in the wrong direction with this program. First let me say that it is great to see Christian get such an extended run in the main event. The problem is that he's been looking up at the lights in every one of these matches. I would have had Christian win the World Title at Capitol Punishment, then retain here before dropping it back to Orton in a Ladder Match at SummerSlam. Now? Having another match between these two would seem almost pointless, even if Christian does win here.

The problem with Smackdown is that there is really nothing worth building up to for SummerSlam. Sure they could transition to Randy Orton vs Sheamus, but that was done at last year's SummerSlam. That is why I think Christian should have won the Title last month. But I don't like sounding like a broken record. With the possibility that this may be the last match between these two, I would assume they will pull out all the stops. Orton and Christian have great chemistry in the ring. This time Christian has added a special stipulation to the match. If Orton is disqualified, or if there is "questionable" officiating, Christian wins the World Title. I would assume somehow, someway, this will play into the finish.

As I said, Smackdown has nothing else headed into SummerSlam. If anything, I may see a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam with Orton, Christian, and Sheamus. Maybe still make it a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match. Either way, I still think Orton needs to lose the title here. Having both shows dominated by your two top faces is a bit too cut and dry. If anyone is to lose the Title, I would say it has to be Orton. Sheamus interferes on Christian's behalf after a ref bump, laying out Orton with that devastating kick. Christian picks up the win and the World Title, but now has to defend it in a Triple Threat Match at SummerSlam.

WINNER: Christian

RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Alberto del Rio vs R-Truth vs Jack Swagger vs The Miz vs Evan Bourne vs Rey Mysterio vs Alex Riley vs Kofi Kingston

Before I get into this preview, can somebody explain to me why Dolph Ziggler is not in this match? He would easily be my pick to win this if he was. He's the United States Champion and he's not in it, yet the guy he just beat at the last PPV is in the match? That doesn't make any sense. I understand Evan Bourne can do some crazy shit off of a ladder, but I'd much rather have Dolph in this match than him. He'd be taken as more of a threat. It's just really weird. The same could be said for not having Ezekiel Jackson in the Smackdown Match even though he is the Intercontinental Champion. And just when I thought the secondary titles were starting to mean something.

There are a lot of interesting candidates here. A couple of already established main eventers that could use it to get the WWE Title back, and a couple of young guys who could use the briefcase to help elevate them to the next level. Again, I will go from least likely to most likely.

Evan Bourne: There was a time last summer where it looked like Evan Bourne might have been in line for a big push. He teamed with John Cena on an episode of RAW and ended up scoring the pinfall victory. Then at the Fatal Four Way PPV, Bourne picked up a pinfall victory over Chris Jericho in a very good match. Probably the best match of the night. But the WWE has this hot and cold approach with their mid-card. They were hot on Bourne for about a month, then cooled down on him. The only reason Bourne is in this match is because to do the Shooting Star Press off of the ladder, and maybe another crazy move or two. Percentage Chance of Winning: 2% (I had to make it higher than Heath Slater)

If Evan Bourne did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Bourne would need to go on a tear through the RAW mid-card before he becomes WWE Champion. Bourne, after winning the briefcase, goes on an incredible winning streak. He wins the United States title from Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam. After finally losing the Title at Wrestlemania, Bourne cashes in his briefcase the next night on RAW.

Jack Swagger: Swagger won the Money in the Bank contract at Wrestlemania 26. Just like Kane last year, he was a very surprising winner. I didn't see him winning there. I don't see him winning this one either. Swagger was booked very poorly after he won the World Title. He had a bad program with Big Show, although it did give us that awesome Swagger Trophy segment that I saw live in Buffalo. He lost the World Title to Rey Mysterio and failed to regain it in the rematch. Swagger is lost in the heel shuffle on RAW, and the only way I could see Swagger winning is if it leads to a face turn down the line. He's very Kurt Angle-esque in the ring. He's not on the same level in ring, but he has the same feel to it. Percentage Chance of Winning: 4%

If Jack Swagger did win, how would I book his cash in?

-As I said, Swagger is lost in the heel shuffle on RAW. If he were to win the RAW MITB Briefcase, I would hope it leads to a slow face turn. Maybe have him be the last guy up on the ladder with Miz and knock him off for the win. Miz complains the next night and starts a program with Swagger, turning him face just like he did with Alex Riley. When the program is over, Miz moves on to win the WWE Title, but after winning at Survivor Series, Swagger cashes in his contract and one ups Miz again.

Kofi Kingston: Just like with Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston is the victim of hot and cold booking over the past few years. In late 2009, he had a star making moment at Madison Square Garden against Randy Orton. But Orton won the program, and once it was over, he was put back in the mid-card. He's held the United States and Intercontinental Championship multiple times. He's also wrestled Dolph Ziggler about 21849684 times. Kofi seems to be over with the crowd, but he can be sloppy in the ring at times. He also isn't the best on the mic. With so many young guys on the roster, I think Kofi's window of opportunity may have come and gone. Percentage Chance of Winning: 6%

If Kofi Kingston did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Right now Kofi is no higher than the #3 face on RAW, and he may be #4 behind Alex Riley. He could use a bit more build up to make him seem like a threat. Kofi holds the briefcase until the TLC PPV in December, where he cashes in the briefcase on Alberto del Rio after a Tables Match. Kofi holds the Title for at least a month before dropping it back to Del Rio.

R-Truth: One month ago, R-Truth was the hottest character in the WWE. His new gimmick was doing wonders for him. His Conspiracy Theory angle, while done before, was being done right. The WWE, however, completely killed his gimmick in the last few weeks. I didn't mind him losing to John Cena, I just don't like how it happened. I understand the "Little Jimmy" aspect of everything, but that was just taking it way too far. Now his character has gotten pushed too the side and seems to be pushed back to mid-card status. He's just waiting for John Morrison to return. Percentage Chance of Winning: 9%

If R-Truth did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Truth would probably be a semi quick cash in. John Morrison returns and the two have a match at SummerSlam in which Morrison wins. Truth, frustrated, cashes in the contract on the same night after John Cena had just successfully retained the Title.

Rey Mysterio: Most people might look at Rey Mysterio in this match as just a way to get him on the card. He's the veteran, go to guy that is over with the young crowd. He's good for a wacky spot off of the ladder. But I think people need to take Rey a bit more seriously as a threat to win this match. Looking at it from a backstage perspective, Rey Mysterio's contract is the next "big" contract up for renewal. It is rumored to expire in early 2012. Head of Talent Relations John Laurinitis is already in a tough spot. He failed to re-sign Chris Jericho and apparently has failed to re-sign C.M. Punk. There is a lot of pressure on him to re-sign Rey. Rey's knees are in bad shape and he probably would like some time off as well. They might need to make him a big offer to keep him around. Giving Rey the MITB win and a run with the WWE Championship might help entice him. Rey can still go in the ring, and despite him losing the male audience's support, he still is a great entertainer. Do I think Rey wins? No. But people need to consider him more than just the veteran presence in this match. Percentage Chance of Winning: 15%

If Rey Mysterio did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Lets say C.M. Punk does win the WWE Championship. That means John Cena is fired. Punk comes out the next night on RAW to gloat one more time before he leaves. But out comes Rey Mysterio with his briefcase. Rey cashes in the contract and wins the WWE Title. If this PPV was any place but Chicago, I would have done this at the PPV. But Rey would get booed out of the building if that happened. This allows John Cena to come back, and possibly plant the seeds for a John Cena vs Rey Mysterio match at SummerSlam. Sure it wouldn't be the program we all want, but it would be something new, and could lead to a heel turn for one of them.

The Miz: C.M. Punk has done it before, so why can't Miz? Winning the MITB two years in a row is not out of the question here. Miz has lost a bit of steam since leaving the WWE Championship picture. Sure he has helped elevate Alex Riley a bit, but he himself has lost a bit of heat. It will be interesting to see what happens with Miz in the near future. There was a rumor that the WWE was going to build around him this year, but that has obviously taken a back seat. Some, including me, thought Miz would have been a face by now. But that hasn't happened either. Miz needs something for people to take him seriously again. Regaining the briefcase would help in that regard. Percentage Chance of Winning: 18%

If The Miz did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Miz did a great job of teasing his cash in last year. He often times walked around waving the MITB Briefcase in front of the WWE Champion. Miz doesn't need to cash in right away. Let him walk around with the briefcase for a couple of months. Finish off his feud with Alex Riley at SummerSlam. Then at Night of Champions, Miz cashes in after John Cena retains the WWE Title in a Championship Scramble match.

Alex Riley: Alex Riley this high on the list? Yes. I think there a number of reasons Riley could win this match. He's come from out of nowhere in the last month and a half and is a rising star in the WWE. He's kind of losing some heat like the Miz, but it could be brought back by winning the briefcase. Riley still needs time to polish up his in ring skills before he would cash in the briefcase. A run with the United States Championship would help as well. He's already beaten Miz twice and I could see the program with him extending to SummerSlam. Riley needs to hope he is not a part of the WWE's hot and cold booking approach with the mid-card. The WWE needs to ride Riley's momentum a bit longer and follow through on it. If the WWE shows faith in him, then the fans will buy into him. Plus, Riley knows how to handle a briefcase. That gives him as good a chance as anyone. Percentage Chance of Winning: 20%

If Alex Riley did win, how would I book his cash in?

-Riley would need a convincing win over the Miz to finish their program. Have him beat Miz at SummerSlam with the MITB Briefcase on the line. Riley moves on to a program with Dolph Ziggler for the United States Championship. At Over the Limit, Riley cashes in his contract just after Miz regains the WWE Championship for the first time in over a year. Riley needs time to work on his overall presence, and having the briefcase gives him the confidence to do so.

Alberto del Rio: Considered by most to be the odds-on-favorite, ADR has been waiting in the wings for his opportunity for a very long time now. He was suppose to win at Wrestlemania but didn't. He was suppose to win at Extreme Rules but didn't. There was apparently even talk of him winning the World Title at the Royal Rumble as well, but that didn't happen either. And since he's been on RAW, he's done almost nothing. There's no doubt that Del Rio's time will come. I think he is next in line for a WWE Championship program. Miz and R-Truth have come and gone, and I'm still convinced Punk is leaving after Sunday. There is nobody else on RAW worthy of the main event slot at SummerSlam. That's why I really don't think Del Rio needs the MITB briefcase. It should be used to elevate someone, not to use on someone who is already in the main event. But ADR still has to be looked at as the odds on favorite. He came out looking strong on RAW. Most of the time that means he won't win Sunday, but it could be different with Del Rio. Percentage Chance of Winning: 26%

If Alberto del Rio did win, how would I book his cash in?

-The only way a RAW MITB cash in would work on C.M. Punk in Chicago is if a heel does it. Cue ADR. Vince brings him out after Punk has won the WWE Championship. ADR cashes in, allowing Cena to stick around and face Del Rio at SummerSlam.

So Who's Winning This Thing?

-This is kind of wide open. I really wish Dolph Ziggler was in this match, because he would be my pick to win. I have Alberto del Rio doing something else besides winning Money in the Bank on this PPV, so I'm ruling him out here. In my mind that leaves 3 people: Rey Mysterio, Alex Riley, and Miz. I'm throwing Rey out. Although I said to consider him a threat, he again doesn't need the briefcase. Miz, however, does need it to get some of his heat back. But I'm not picking him here. I see a lot of potential in Alex Riley, and believe that in time, he could be a decent main eventer in the WWE. Getting the RAW MITB Contract would be a great start. Miz and Riley are the last two on the ladder. Riley knocks Miz off and grabs the briefcase. At SummerSlam, the two fight over the MITB contract in a Steel Cage Match.

WINNER: Alex Riley

WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs C.M. Punk

I'm really trying to remember the last time I was so excited for a WWE Championship match. The first thing that pops into my head is John Cena/Shawn Michaels from Wrestlemania 23. That's mostly because I honestly thought HBK was walking out with the WWE Title. But even then I was excited for different reasons. I was excited for Mania 23 because I thought my favorite ever was going to be WWE Champion again. I'm excited now because I have absolutely NO IDEA what is going to happen. When was the last time I didn't know what was going to happen and was actually interested in the match? I really can't tell you.

This has been the best 3 weeks of WWE TV in a row in quite some time. Everyone has played their parts perfectly. Of course Punk has been amazing. Vince McMahon has been the best he's been in a while. You also have to give him credit for letting Punk say all the things he's said in recent weeks. Punk's basically called Vince out on every bad business decision he's made in the last few years. Vince wouldn't let somebody do that unless he had a lot of faith in him. John Cena has also performed admirably. He got a little corny this past Monday on RAW with that whole door mat nonsense, but he recovered nicely in the end. Punk calling out Cena on becoming a "Dynasty" just like the New York Yankees was a great line.

If C.M. Punk has proven one thing this past week, its that he can be a main event draw if given the opportunity. Punk is the best worker in the ring, and the best on the mic out. He doesn't have a marketable look, but there's no doubt he is the best in the WWE right now. There's no one on RAW or Smackdown that can fill his void. It's a shame that it took Punk leaving to show how much of a draw he can be.

On to the actual match. It should be great. The crowd will be electric. Cena will get booed louder than he ever has before. The match itself should also be great. These two put on a couple of good matches this year so far on RAW. Now on the main event of one of the biggest PPVs in recent memory, they should bring their A game. Punk works a good match no matter what and Cena will surely step it up in this situation.

Now the talking point of the entire match: the outcome. I'm sure there are only a handful of people that know what will happen. The same people also are the only ones who know if C.M. Punk has re-signed. I'm still of the believe that Punk is taking some time off. I really think he is burned out from being on the road so long. I also believe he's disappointed it took him this long to get a main event push. I do, however, also believe that Punk has agreed to come back at some point down the line. Vince wouldn't do this type of angle without some sort of agreement like that in place. The only finish I would absolutely hate would be Cena winning clean. That would basically kill any type of build from the last 3 weeks, and lose a lot more viewers that tuned back just for this angle. The WWE would be really stupid to do this finish.

Any other finish I would at least let digest and think about before I reacted. I doubt Punk leaves with the WWE Championship. If that did happen, I would think Punk returns to fight the then WWE Champion at Wrestlemania. There's always the possibility that the RAW MITB Winner cashes in his briefcase. But with my prediction, Alex Riley is not walking out WWE Champion. He's not ready for that and the Chicago crowd would shit all over him. There's the possibility that Punk stays and wins. He then either forms a corporate partnership with Vince. Maybe Cena wins by aligning with Vince McMahon, turning heel in the process. And when Punk returns, he's an anti-authority face. Wishful thinking I know, because Cena is not turning anytime soon.

Here's how I see it playing out: Punk and Cena go at it for about 20 minutes. Punk just escaped the STF by reaching the ropes. Cena gets Punk up into the Attitude Adjustment. Punk lands on his feet, however, and hits his second GTS of the match to pick up the win. Punk celebrates in the ring and Cena sits dejected on the outside. Out comes Vince McMahon. He says that this is not happening. He says Punk still has another match tonight. He gets to face the man who should have been in the WWE Championship Match tonight, the man who is the true #1 Contender: Alberto del Rio. Del Rio comes out and him and Punk have a short match. Del Rio counters the GTS into his cross armbar. Despite Punk's best attempt, he can't get to the ropes and taps out, allowing Alberto del Rio to win the WWE Championship. Del Rio gets booed out of the building. After the match Punk gets a standing ovation from the crowd. Cena comes in to shake Punk's hand. Punk does, but as Cena attempts to leave, Punk pulls him back and hits another GTS on Cena. Punk walks up the ramp and raises his fist in the air as the show signs off.

To me, this ending accomplishes a bunch of different things. It makes it seemed like Punk was robbed out of the WWE Championship. When he comes back, it sets him up as an anti-authority figure who is hell bent on getting revenge on Vince McMahon. It gets the WWE Title off of John Cena while not actually firing him because Punk did not leave with the Title. It also sets up the long anticipated Alberto del Rio/John Cena program for SummerSlam. If Vince is back on TV even semi-regularly, he could make Del Rio is corporate Champion who dominates the main event scene.

So when does Punk return? As I've said, there's no way the WWE would do this angle with Punk and not have him come back at some point. It may be a long time, but I would hold Punk off of TV until the Royal Rumble. Have him be a surprise entrant. Punk wins the match, and decides to face Alberto del Rio at Wrestlemania. That gives you Cena/Rock and Del Rio/Punk as your two starting points for Wrestlemania 28. Those are two solid matches to start with.

Winner of the Match: C.M. Punk
Who Leaves the PPV WWE Champion: Alberto del Rio

I can't say enough how excited I am for this PPV. I will be watching it at a Buffalo Wild Wings. First time watching it there. I hear the atmosphere at these places should be great. I will have a Review up on my blog Monday morning. I will try to do live updates on Twitter. You can follow me there @JCWonka.

Until next time,
Justin C

Thoughts on RAW & C.M. Punk's Amazing Promo

It's RAW Roulette! You have as good of odds here as you do in Vegas!


Dream Match?
Shawn Michaels started the show. He said he's not here to be the guest host. He's not here to plug any kind of show, but he did want to mention that he has a new hunting show on the Outdoor Channel. He asked if the plug was on the TV screen in the corner. C.M. Punk came out next. He said HBK just couldn't stay away. He couldn't stay out of the spotlight. Punk talked about how he was leaving with the WWE Title at Money in the Bank. HBK asked if he cleared that with John Cena, since he is the current WWE Champion. He criticized the audience for bowing down and respecting a legend but not begging him to stay. HBK said they cheer him because they know he's better than Punk. Punk said he was better than him, but not now. HBK then said he does things his way, and gave the Sweet Chin Music to David Otunga. The RAW GM then said Punk would have a match. It landed on a "?" mark, which means he faced a mystery opponent, Kane. HBK laid out McGillicutty with some SCM. Basic match, which saw Punk walk out and lose via countout. Punk said "What are they gonna do? Fire me?" Strong Opening Segment. Punk was on here. Survey Says: 4/5

A Botch Free Sin Cara Match?
Next was the match that we were suppose to see last week: Evan Bourne vs Sin Cara. The wheel landed on "No Countout." Thank god. Very fun match. Lots of quick counters and fast-paced action. Bourne went for Air Bourne but Cara moved out of the way. Cara then hit a head scissors take down for the win. That's the type of match we need to see from Cara. He's very good in the ring and showed it here. Maybe he's finally starting to settle in to the WWE style. Survey Says: 4/5

Wait, is RAW a Re-Run This Week?
Kofi was backstage to spin the wheel. Vickie walked in and spun it instead. It landed on "Player's Choice," which means Kofi got to pick. He picked Vickie being banned from ringside. It was the same match we've been getting from these two. Nothing new, but nothing bad either. It's just becoming the same old same old, and I think it is time for both guys to move on to different opponents. Kofi got the win with the Trouble in Paradise. Survey Says: 3/5

When Did Mark Henry Become Awesome?
Up next was Alberto del Rio vs Big Show. Del Rio asked Maryse to spin the wheel for him. As Maryse flirted with ADR, the wheel landed on Steel Cage. ADR walked away mad. Ordinary cage match with Del Rio working over Show's leg. Mark Henry came out. After pacing around a few minutes, Henry ripped the cage door off. Hey, at least it only took a few seconds this time, unlike when it took him forever on Smackdown years ago. Del Rio escaped the cage. Henry took the door and rammed it into Big Show, who then went through the side of the cage. I know he's not the best wrestler, but there's something about this Mark Henry push that I'm really digging. He just seems on this time. Survey Says: 4/5

I'd Love To Make Kelly Kelly Tap Out
Next was Kelly Kelly vs Nikki Bella in a Submission's Match. Kelly won with the boston crab. Bellas attacked afterwards, Eve made the save. Short and sweet. No problems here. Survey Says: 2/5

Backstage, Rey Mysterio was with Booker T as the wheel spun. It landed on Tornado Match. It was Rey & Alex Riley vs Miz & Jack Swagger. As Rey left, Diamond Dallas Page showed up to plug the Best of Nitro DVD. Drew McIntyre appeared and said people were calling them relics, and that they should leave before they left on stretchers. HBK superkicked Drew. He said he'd never seen any of Nitro cause he was working that night. Fun segment.

More Tornado Tags Please
This was a fun match. Lots of near falls. Fast paced action throughout, never a dull moment. Everybody stood out. Swagger looked the best out of everybody, even in taking the loss. Rey finally got a win back after 2 straight PPV losses. Miz and Riley also looked good. Definite *** star match. Rey and Riley picked up the win. Survey Says: 4/5

Promo of the Decade
R-Truth beat Cena in a Tables Match. Punk distracted Cena, allowing R-Truth to spear Cena through a table. This was an after thought to what happened next.

Punk sat on the top of the ramp and just went off. It was a worked shoot, but it was a damn good one. He said he's the best wrestler, the best mic worker, the best everything in wrestling today. He's better than Cena, and the only reason Cena is where he is is because he's good at kissing Vince McMahon's ass. He said he's been held down since Paul Heyman said he saw something in him. He referenced winning the WWE Title and defending it in ROH and New Japan. He talked about how WWE might be better run with Vince dead, but it will just be run by his idiotic daughter and doofus son-in-law. Right as he was about to tell a story about Vince and the "Anti-Bullying Campaign" his mic was cut off and the show abruptly ended. He also ripped on John Laurinitis, The Rock, and Hulk Hogan. This review doesn't do it justice. Go out and watch it. It was amazing. Survey Says: 10/5 Yes, I have the power to do that.

OVERALL
This was a very good episode of RAW. Very good in ring action, topped off by the tornado tag match. There was nothing terribly bad on the show. Even the Divas segment was kept short, which is all you can ask for. Mark Henry continues to be an underrated part of the show. I'm really enjoying his push right now. Of course, C.M. Punk stole the show and got everybody talking in the end. Money in the Bank may do one of the best non-big 4 PPV buys since the Attitude Era. There's going to be a lot of hype going into it. Nobody truly knows the outcome of the match. It takes a lot for a show to get a perfect rating. Before Punk's promo I had this show around a 7, but Mr. Punk bumps it up to a 10.

Thoughts on C.M. Punk's Promo
There is nobody else in this business that could pull of that worked shoot better than C.M. Punk. He's just that good. He did the perfect job of playing up to every possible fan out there. The marks, who believe everything is real, thought that he was crossing the line and couldn't believe Punk was actually saying this. The smart fans, the Internet fans who don't know everything, thought that he was saying some stuff they knew, but was saying just a few things that might have crossed the line. Then the real smart fans, people like you and me who read the Internet religiously, knew everything he was saying was a work, but his delivery was just so spot on that you had to enjoy it.

Punk touched on just enough stuff that made you know it was a worked shoot. Mentioning Paul Heyman and Hulk Hogan's names was nothing. There big enough names that it doesn't effect anything badly. Even mentioning Ring of Honor and New Japan doesn't mean anything. ROH isn't even a blip on the WWE's radar. They're not a big enough company to worry Vince. Same with New Japan. There big in Japan, but nowhere near as big in the States. Now had Punk mentioned something about TNA, then there might be some cause for concern. There the #2 Company in North America. The same can be said for bringing up Brock Lesnar. Everyone knows what happened with Brock. Mentioning his name isn't a killer blow.

As far as ripping on Vince McMahon, HHH, Stephanie McMahon, John Cena, and John Laurinitis, that was all planned as well. You knew they were all probably getting a good laugh out of it in the back. They got the Internet in a big hub-a-lub, talking about their product again. Punk is the Internet's Golden Child. The Internet criticizes WWE constantly, but now their praising them for what Punk did. The mic cut off and subsequent quick cut off air was perfect. It would make some believe that the plug was actually pulled on the show because of Punk.

This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for C.M. Punk/John Cena at Money in the Bank. Everything I talked about in my last post seems so non-existent right now. Could Punk win the Title and stick around for a while. Maybe Punk brings in his Indie buddies to help him win the WWE Title, then he actually defends it on Indie shows across the country. That would take a lot of balls for Vince to do. You'd have to worry someone might shoot on Punk and attempt to legit beat him for the Title, but I'm sure Punk has so much respect in the wrestling world that it wouldn't happen. I've read the spoilers for next week, but I won't go into them here. I will get more into that for next week's review.

In closing, this is something that has to be done at the right place at the right time, with the right person. Everything fit perfectly here. It had to be Punk, it had to be this moment, it had to be that night. This is something that can be done once every few years. It's got EVERYBODY in the wrestling world talking. If the WWE handles this the right way, it could be the best angle they've done in years. That can't drop the ball like they did with Nexus. There are endless possibilities here, and I for one cannot wait to see how it plays out.

Until next time,
Justin C

The Summer of Punk? Looking At the C.M. Punk/Money in the Bank Scenarios

For all of the wrestling Internet fans out there, we've known this was coming for months. C.M. Punk has reportedly been unhappy in the WWE for quite some time now. He doesn't like the fact that he is not treated like the main event talent that he is. Punk is also burned out by all the time spent on the road. He has valid arguments. He has never been a constant main event talent. It seemed like Punk was getting a re-newed push when he became the new leader of Nexus. They reignited their feud with John Cena and it looked like a possible C.M. Punk/John Cena one-on-one match was coming on PPV, quite possibly at Wrestlemania. But instead the WWE rushed through that feud and gave away the match for free on RAW. There was a lot of heat behind that match, and it would have been great to see Punk win the Royal Rumble, and Cena win the WWE Championship, and have the two face off at Wrestlemania. Or the spots could have been switched around. It would have been a great build in my opinion.

Instead, Punk was transitioned into a Wrestlemania feud with Randy Orton. The WWE played up a surprisingly good back story, dating back to Orton costing Punk the World Heavyweight Championship in 2008. However, Randy Orton looked dominant throughout the entire program. There was maybe one week where Punk got the better of Orton. Every week Orton took out a different member of the Nexus. Orton won their match at Wrestlemania, then won the re-match at Extreme Rules. Punk was stuck in limbo the next month and a half until he won last week's triple threat match to become the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship. At Capitol Punishment and on RAW, Punk promised to make a shocking announcement. Well, he did. Punk said his contract expires on July 17, the same day as the Money in the Bank PPV. The PPV is in his hometown of Chicago. One way or another, Punk said he was leaving.

First off, I give the WWE props for trying something different. To take Punk's contract situation and turn it into an actual storyline will make for some interesting TV in the next 3 weeks. Punk is a great enough performer that he can make it work. That's part of his greatness. You could give him crap and turn it into gold. He would make a program with Ahmed Johnson or Bart Gunn main event worthy. Even if the WWE writes it in a terrible way, Punk could still make it work. It all adds up to how great a performer he is. If Money in the Bank is the last appearance for Punk in quite some time, you bet damn well I will be writing a tribute piece to him.

But now the question becomes this: What exactly are the possibilities with this storyline. There are actually a handful of possibilites out there. If the WWE is smart, they could turn this into the angle of the summer, perhaps even the angle of the year if they play it out right. Punk is that good, and even John Cena can be good if he brings his A game and doesn't bust out his normal corny, unfunny routine. So, with all of this being said, lets look at the possible scenarios for this C.M. Punk storyline and how they could play out.

1. C.M. Punk Wins the WWE Championship & Sticks Around For A While
This scenario is quite possible. Even though Punk says he's gone at Money in the Bank, his contract supposedly does not expire until September. So it is entirely possible that Vince talked Punk into sticking around until his contract actually expires. Punk gets a new main event push that he has been wanting for quite some time. He main events the second biggest PPV of the year, SummerSlam, and the Night of Champions PPV in September.

Now wait a minute. Punk said he's leaving no matter what after MITB. So how would this work? Well, it's wrestling, they can make it work. The RAW GM could say that Punk cannot leave with the WWE Championship. Punk could refuse, and then have Vince McMahon show up and say the exact same thing. Punk, being too proud of a competitor, decides not to leave and defend the WWE Title until he loses.

Another possibility could be something similar to his Ring of Honor end run, which was called by many the "Summer of Punk." Punk was suppose to be wrestling his last show in the ROH Title match. He won the title, and threatened to take the Title to the WWE. Punk continued to wrestle for ROH until he lost the Title. Punk could do the same thing in the WWE. Some of his recent Twitter comments have been apparently similar to what he wrote in his online journal while leaving Ring of Honor.

Punk, however, loves to toy with fans. He may be doing this just to screw with them. Plus, I don't know if Vince would want to do the same storyline that another company did. I don't like the odds of this happening. It's probably a bit too complicated for the WWE to do anyways, and they wouldn't want Punk leaving on such a high note if he were to go to another company. I doubt that happens though.
ODDS OF HAPPENING: 75:1

2. C.M. Punk Wins the WWE Championship & Leaves with the Title
Another long shot possibility. But again, it's something to consider. Punk wins the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank. His contract actually does expire. He leaves with the WWE Title. That's it. The RAW GM announces that Punk is gone with the WWE Title, and that a new Title will be introduced and a tournament will be held, with the two finalists facing off at SummerSlam to crown the new WWE Champion. Then, when Punk comes back, the two face off, maybe at Wrestlemania, and fight to determine the undisputed WWE Champion. It'd be an interesting sub main event to a show already main evented by The Rock vs John Cena.

Or, the World Champion is now declared the only Champion in the WWE and appears on both shows from now on until Punk comes back. The main reason this won't happen is because you know Vince McMahon won't like. It takes the WWE Championship, the supposed most prized possession in wrestling, off of TV for who knows how long. While it would be something unique and different, it would also kind of devalue the Title a bit.

This is another long shot. Taking the WWE Title off of TV for any extended period of time would not be good in Vince McMahon's eyes. Sure they might want to have only one Champion, but that title would be the WWE Championship, not the World Title.
ODDS OF HAPPENING: 65:1

3. C.M. Punk Wins the WWE Title, Then Loses It to the RAW Money in the Bank Winner
What a coincidence. Punk's WWE Title chance comes at a PPV where two guaranteed Title contracts are given out. The story would write itself. Here is this evil C.M. Punk, about to take the WWE Championship away with him from the WWE. But before he can leave, here comes the RAW Money in the Bank winner to cash in his briefcase, and take the Title back.

In my opinion, however, it would have to be a heel cashing in the contract. While it would make a mega face most of the time if a babyface cashed in the contract, the PPV is being held in Chicago. Any face would be booed out of the building if they stole the WWE Championship from C.M. Punk in his hometown. A heel, however, would be booed out of the building. If the WWE still wants to go with John Cena vs Alberto del Rio at SummerSlam, having ADR win the RAW MITB Ladder Match then cash in his contract on Punk would bring him instant heel heat. ADR could explain how he didn't want Punk to ruin his destiny and take the WWE Title out of the company with him. Cena then comes out and demands a rematch for the Title he lost, and you have your main event for SummerSlam.

Like I said, however, this has to be a heel doing this. As I already said, whoever does this will be booed out of Chicago. You don't want a young face like Kofi Kingston getting that kind of reaction for his first WWE Title win. Sure it will only be for one night, but people won't forget it. A heel should also win because right now, John Cena is the top face on RAW. Nobody is supplanting him right now. And, you don't want to have a new face win, then immediately have them face John Cena. There's also no other face on RAW ready to win the WWE Title right now. Rey Mysterio doesn't need it. Alex Riley is too young. Kofi Kingston isn't quite ready yet. The only people worthy of this type of situation right now would be either Alberto del Rio, or maybe R-Truth. I would say this has decent odds of happening. I might be the second most likely option, especially considering the PPV it is happening on.
ODDS OF HAPPENING: 20:1

4. John Cena Defeats C.M. Punk Cleanly
Sadly, this may be the most likely option. There are many reasons I believe this. First off, Vince McMahon hates the Internet. Most would consider C.M. Punk the "Darling of the Internet." The hardcore adult male audience loves him. They love him because he is a great worker and excellent on the mic. Punk plays up the fact that they love him and always finds ways to gain their interest. Problem is, Vince hates that audience. He will do anything he can to piss them off. Look what he did by not putting Zac Ryder on any of the last 3 hour RAWs. One took place in his hometown, the other was a Viewer's Choice addition. Vince does not cater to the Internet audience, and he won't do something just to please them. Vince also fails to realize that the Internet audience makes up a decent portion of his viewing and PPV buyer market, but that's another story all together.

Another reason this seems like the most likely scenario is because C.M. Punk's opponent is John Cena. Cena is, after all, invincible. When was the last time he lost a clean PPV match. I mean after all, the new Nexus could get involved and cost Cena the match. But Cena single handedly went through the old Nexus, so there's no reason he couldn't do the same to this Nexus. Also, John Cena is the WWE's Golden Boy. He's facing the Rock at Wrestlemania 28. He may very well hold on to the WWE Title until then. I personally don't think the match needs it, but it would make it that much bigger. I really don't think the WWE would want Cena to lose the Title to someone that is on their way out of the Company.

Like I said, I really think this may have the best odds of happening. If Punk hasn't been treated as a true main eventer before, there is nothing that would change this now. Especially if Punk is leaving the WWE. Cena looks strong again because he sends someone out of the WWE. And usually, when someone is on their way out, they don't win the WWE Title, even if they lose it immediately after. They usually end their WWE career staring up at the lights.
ODDS OF HAPPENING: 10:1

There is one more scenario that could be considered. Win or lose, Punk has re-signed with the WWE and will stay around for a long time. It could be possible Punk is just playing the Internet crowd that loves him. He could win the WWE Title and say that he played everyone all along, or he could lose and demand a rematch, and the RAW GM could say he would only grant it if Punk signs a new contract. The reason I don't see this happening is because every indication we've been given says that Punk is leaving, whether now or when his contract officially expires.

All I know is this, having C.M. Punk off of TV for an extended period of time will be a huge blow. While he may not have always been the top dog, he was always entertaining. He's easily the best WRESTLER the WWE currently has, probably the best guy on the mic too. He always has a creative way to get his point across. There's nobody on the current roster that can replace him. I hope he comes back sooner rather than later. It's a shame the WWE didn't appreciate him more. But if Punk feels that way, and he really wants some time off, then I respect him for sticking to his guns and making this decision.

That's all from me today.

Until next time,
Justin C